On June 12, 2025, there was an aviation incident, which was one of the worst events in aviation and the history of aviation in India. Air India flight AI-171, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, took-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad on a scheduled service with 242 persons (230 passengers and 12 crew) to London Gatwick. Of the 242 persons, only one person survived.
Just 36 seconds after liftoff, the aircraft began losing altitude and crashed into the B. J. Medical College hostel in the Meghani Nagar area, a densely populated neighborhood in Ahmedabad. The incident not only caused a massive explosion and fire but also led to significant ground casualties. In total, over 270 people were confirmed dead, including residents of the hostel.
Authorities quickly ruled out bad weather or a bird strike. Preliminary investigations suggest a possible configuration error during takeoff. One theory, proposed by aviation experts, is that the pilot may have retracted the flaps instead of the landing gear, causing a critical loss of lift. A mayday call was received less than a minute into the flight, indicating the crew realized something was wrong almost immediately.
The crash was captured on CCTV, showing the plane lifting off but failing to gain sufficient altitude before veering downward into the cityscape. Investigators recovered one of the black boxes within 48 hours and are analyzing flight data to confirm the cause. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), along with experts from the UK and US, is conducting a detailed inquiry.
The lone survivor, a man named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was seated near the emergency exit and managed to walk out of the wreckage. His account will be critical in understanding what happened in those final seconds.
The crash also reignited scrutiny on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner series, as former Boeing engineers had previously raised concerns about manufacturing quality. While there’s no confirmed link between those issues and this crash, investigators are not ruling anything out.
The human toll has been immense. Entire families were lost, including young students and public figures. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among those on board. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and met with survivors and victims’ families. The Tata Group, which owns Air India, announced ₹1 crore in compensation per victim, and Air India pledged an additional ₹25 lakh.
As the nation mourns, aviation authorities are now under pressure to review pilot training, cockpit procedures, and maintenance checks across the fleet. The DGCA has already ordered urgent inspections of all Air India Boeing 787 aircraft.
The final report from the AAIB is expected within the next few months. While it may eventually provide technical answers, the emotional scars of this disaster will remain long after the investigation ends. For now, India stands united in grief—and in hope that such a tragedy never repeats. Ahmedabad